Rush clearly had a purpose in denying that Roman soldiers had access to
wine, but he was not quite right to say that they drank only vinegar.

What Rush calls "vinegar" was probably posca, a mixture of water and sour
wine. The sour wine had not yet turned to vinegar, probably had some of
the flavour of wine, and retained some alcohol, though at lower levels
than wine.

Wounded Roman soldiers were given wine as medicine, and there is also
evidence that Roman soldiers were given wine (the real stuff) on occasion
and had opportunities to purchase it.

Rod Phillips


>            I recently came across this in Benjamin Rush's address to the
> officers of the Army of the United States:  "Spirituous liquors
> were unknown to the armies of ancient Rome.  The canteen of
> every soldier was filled with nothing but vinegar; and it was
> by frequently drinking a small quantity of  this wholesome
> liquor mixed with water that the Roman soldiers were enabled to
> sustain tedious marches through scorching sands, without being
> subject to sickness of any kind."  He goes on to sing the
> praises of vinegar and suggests that only in dire circumstances
> should soldiers be given rum.  My questions:  I think I have
> read where Roman soldiers had a daily ration of some sort of
> wine in their canteens, am I right?  Also,  I know the ancient
> Greeks used oil to dilute wine --was Rush perhaps confused
> about oil  and vinegar or was vinegar once a thirst quencher?
> cheers, Jim
>  --  James R. McIntosh Professor & Chair Department of Sociology &
> Anthropology Lehigh University 681 Taylor Street Tel. 610 758 3809 Fax:
> 610 758 6552